Kale & Chickpea Salad

This is not the recipe, I have to recreate this one. This post is just the food porn about how good this salad turned out! I wanted a nice salad, but something that would be very hearty for dinner. I've had some raw kale salads in the past and really wanted to give another go for one.

What I had was green curly kale, golden beets, carrots, chick peas, red quinoa, fresh basil, and a young Walla Walla onion. I shredded all the veggies up fine and put everything into a bowl to toss. I actually shredded up the kale very fine first and tossed it with apple cider vinegar while I worked on the other veggies.

In the dressing department I discovered we were out of tahini so I soaked about half a cup of raw cashews in hot water for several minutes. I put these into the food processor along with a bulb of raw garlic, balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, fine flake nutritional yeast, and some other dried herbs. Everything was processed until quite smooth and then poured over all the veggies, chick peas & quinoa.

Toss well, coating everything, serve and and bask in the appreciative compliments. This got even better the next day or two. Will be recreating this very soon with a full recipe!

Sauteed Greens with Zucchini Pasta

Last week for dinner one evening we had and excellent dish of shallot, sauteed with mustard greens and tempeh. Served this over zucchini "pasta", topped with marinara and finely sliced basil. This was a simple dish that came together quickly and was extremely tasty! This could be made to serve 3 if each person gets a little less zucchini or another one is used.

The Stuff

• 1 medium shallot, sliced fine
• 1 8 oz. package tempeh, crumbled
• 1 good sized bunch mustard greens, stemmed & shredded
• 3 small zucchini, julienne cut into small, thin ribbons
• 8 oz. marinara (we used some from Muir Glen)
  
• Leaves from one stem of fresh basil, chiffonade
  
• 1 T olive oil
• salt & pepper

The Making

Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a hot skillet. Saute shallot on medium-high heat until it begins to darken, add tempeh. Continue to saute until the tempeh begins to turn mostly golden. Salt & pepper to taste while tempeh is browning. Reduce heat to low, add mustard greens, and cover with lid. Continue to toss greens with tempeh and shallot every couple of minutes, returning lid between stirs, until greens are fully wilted.

While tempeh & greens are cooking bring a small saucepan of water to boil. When water is at full boil add julienne zucchini "pasta". Blanch for 4 minutes, remove from heat, drain. Dish equally onto two plates.

Divide greens & tempeh mix up equally between both plates of zucchini and top the "pasta". Add some heated marinara and top with finely sliced, fresh basil.

Organics to You - May 24, 2010

Hmm... not a lot of fruit in today's box from Organics to You, excepting the tomatoes and avocados:

• green leaf lettuce
• spinach
  
• asparagus
• fresh fava beans
• fresh shelling peas
• radishes
• bunch of carrots
• 5 tomatoes
• 3 avocados
• 2 cucumbers
• fennel bulb
• broccoli
• shallots
• 2 bulbs garlic
• basil
• cilantro
  

In the fridge:

• Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes) - oddly enough these are still there and might be OK
  
• green leaf lettuce
• half an avocado
• a few small zucchini
• 2 cucumbers
  
• several bulbs of shallot
• 2 bulbs garlic
• large, yellow onion
  
• fresh fava beans
• collards
• baby cauliflower
• 2 red velvet apricots
• 2 d'anjou pears
  
• some broccoli
• a bulb of fennel
• 2 young Walla Walla onions
  
• carrots
• red beets
• turnips
• radishes
  
• red Bibb lettuce
  
• ginger
• 1 yam
• 4 grapefruit
• 6 oranges
• 2 mangoes
  
• 2 lemons
• 6 apples
  
• 2 kiwi
• 4 wrinkled peaches - these just didn't ripen nice last week
• several bananas
• a few pints of Hood strawberries
  

The Compost Pail of Shame (what we didn't use and had to compost):

• 2 bananas
  

We have been looking at what we eat and have noticed our tendency to not each much fruit combined with our shared sweet tooth and eating out a lot. The result is the decision to limit out eating out and limit sweets for special occasions. Last week I even made up a batch of almond cupcakes with almond icing and didn't have one!

The result has been the purchase of quite a lot more fruit and supplementary veggies for big salads. We found last week's green lettuce a little bitter and bought several heads of delicious, delicate red Bibb lettuce a the farmers market on Saturday along with a half flat of Hood strawberries, beautiful radishes, and snow peas (immediately went into a gingery stir-fry). We've been using a lot more veggies in all the lunch/dinner/snack dishes as well as a lot more fruit showing up at breakfast and for snacks.

We tried to supplement some things that looked like they were coming with a shopping trip to New Seasons yesterday, however, it somewhat backfired as several items did show up in the box. Now we have a surplus of garlic, radishes and cucumbers!

Organics to You - May 17, 2010

Today's box from Organics to You:

• green leaf lettuce
  
• radishes
• 5 small zucchini
• several bulbs of shallot
  
• fresh fava beans
  
• broccoli
• asparagus
  
• a bulb of fennel
• fresh basil
  
• 2 d'anjou pears
  
• an avocado
• 3 Fuji apples
  
• 4 oranges
• 4 peaches
  

In the fridge:

• Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes) - oddly enough these are still there and might be OK
  
• Romaine lettuce
• young Walla Walla onions
  
• mustard greens
• green, curly kale
• a carrot
• ginger
• 2 yams
• 4 grapefruit
• 4 oranges
• 2 lemons
• 2 kiwi
  

The Compost Pail of Shame (what we didn't use and had to compost):

• a lot got composted right before we went out of town
• some tomatoes
• some citrus
• cilantro
• mint
  

We went out of town for a week, across two weeks, so I had the delivery suspended for those two weeks. The one before I just ran out of time and didn't get stuff posted up. Some of the produce in the house already was purchased by either Christie or I as we got back into town. We're looking forward to some nice salads for lunches and some more stir-fry dinners. Not sure what to do with the fava beans, but I'll be finding out!

Organics to You - April 19, 2010

Today's box from Organics to You:

• carrots
  
• radishes
• collards
• green, curly kale
• broccoli
• 2 leeks
  
• red potatoes
• salad greens
• 3 kiwis
  
• an avocado
• 3 Fuji apples
  
• 2 Atalufo mangoes
• 2 oranges
• 2 stalks rhubarb
  

From last week the fridge still contains:

• radishes
• 3 yams
• Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes)
• a red beets & greens
• a lot of celery
• 3 stalks of rhubarb
• Romaine lettuce
• salad greens
• turnip greens
• spinach
• 2 leeks
• several small zucchini
• a lot of gold potatoes
  
• some rainbow carrots
• several apples
• several pears
• 2 Honeygold grapefruit
• 2 kiwis
• 2 tangerines

Supplemental produce in the house:

• 3 Meyer lemons
• a lime
  
• garlic
  

The Compost Pail of Shame (what I didn't use and had to compost):

• a yellow bell pepper
• a mango
• a lemon
• 2 artichokes (for which I feel considerable shame - they were really beautiful)
  

I'm surprised there isn't a bigger compost list. Perhaps it will grow considerably next week? Christie was in San Francisco most of the week and I realized that on weeks like that we should suspend the Organics to You deliveries! Some hash, some soup, and lots of collard wraps! We have a lot of produce on hand already with this week's delivery in the fridge.

Tonight I made a hash and I think there will be more collard wraps instead of bread for sandwiches. I believe I need to make more sauce out of some of the fruit. Perhaps miso udon stew again, with the broccoli.

Organics to You - April 12, 2010

Today's box from Organics to You:

• Romaine lettuce
• salad greens
• baby turnips w/greens
• asparagus
• radishes
• baby red beets w/greens
• raab
• rapini
• collards
• more celery
  
• kale
  
• 4 small zucchini
• 3 yams
  
• orange carrots
• 3 Pink Lady apples
• 3 d'Anjou pears
• 2 Honeygold grapefruit
• 3 tangerines

From last week the fridge still contains:

• 2 artichokes
• Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes)
• a red beets
• some garlic
• a lot of celery
• 3 stalks of rhubarb
• some green lettuce
• 1 and a half yellow onions
• spinach
• kale
  
• 3 leeks
• bunch of chives
• several small zucchini
• a lot of gold potatoes
  
• some rainbow carrots
• several apples
• several pears
• a Honeygold grapefruit
• 3 kiwis
• an Ataulfo mango

Supplemental produce in the house:

• 4 Meyer lemons
• 2 lemons
  
• a lime
  
• a yellow bell pepper
  

The Compost Pail of Shame (what I didn't use and had to compost):

• beet greens
• some salad greens
• a tomato
• parsley
• cilantro
• half an avocado

Last week saw some progress with a shepherd's pie helping out with mirepoix, zucchini and potatoes. Another savoy bread pudding helped with even more mirepoix, kale and some zucchini. This week might be challenging since Christie is on business travel most of the week. I may need to invite people over or take food to people! I'm thinking of some veggie heavy stir-fries and lots of raw turnips, radishes & celery sticks with hummus!

Organics to You - April 5, 2010

Last week I forgot about the delivery until it was close time for me to leave to pick up Christie and go to a friends' seder dinner. I totally blew putting in the last delivery. Starting over again with today's box from Organics to You:

• spinach
• salad greens
  
• red kale
  
• a leek
• bunch of chives
• 5 small zucchini
• gold potatoes
  
• rainbow carrots
• 3 Rainer apples
• 3 d'Anjou pears
• 2 Honeygold grapefruit
• 3 kiwis
• an Ataulfo mango
  

From last week the fridge still contains:

• 2 artichokes
• a few carrots
• fingerling potatoes
• Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes)
• 2 small Russet potatoes
• gold potatoes
  
• 2 red beets
• some garlic
• 2 grapefruit
• 2 Mineola tangerines
• a lot of celery
• rhubarb
• braising greens
• a kiwi
• 5 pears
• 5 apples
• 2 leeks
• beet greens
• green lettuce
• cilantro
• 2 onions
• half avocado
• half onion
• red curly kale
  

Supplemental produce in the house:

• 4 Meyer lemons
  
• 2 navel oranges
• 5 bananas
• parsley
• a shallot
• a yellow bell pepper
  

The Compost Pail of Shame (what I didn't use and had to compost):

• green curly kale
• Romaine lettuce
• an avocado (oh the shame of it all)
• a few Chioggia beets
• an eggplant

Last week shows what happens when we don't end up eating at home as much - more went into the compost pile unused and we have a lot of produce already on hand. The star of last week were the collard greens used in a seder friendly dish first, then the leftovers incorporated into a superb final dish that I'll be writing a recipe for: Collard green rolls stuffed with red quinoa, bell peppers, collards & BBQ Anasazi beans. Baked on top of more shredded collards and a tomato & corn sauce.

We have pounds of potatoes - I'm thinking I'll make a shepherd's pie (great chance to write out a recipe too) for Wednesday. Christie & I have a meeting on Wednesday so it would be nice to come home to a warm, potato-y casserole. Christie has also requested to savory kale bread pudding and since we have a lot of kale I'm thinking I need a stale baguette!